ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. craft — a skill
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. capital — a city
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mate — a partner
  17. craft — boats
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stem — to come from
  21. capital — money
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com